 |
|
|
|
 |
|
The art of negotiation |
| The ESSEC-based Institute for Research and Education on Negotiation in Europe (IRENE, for short) celebrated its tenth anniversary in grand style on November 6-7, in collaboration with the European Company Lawyers Association. |
 |
Now considered one of the leading centers of expertise in Europe for the field, IRENE comprises approximately 50 academics and practitioners, and is led by Alain Pekar-Lempereur (ESSEC Professor and Director of IRENE) and Aurélien Coulson (IRENE Director for Development, and Coordinator of Negotiation Teaching at ENA). |
The first day of the event provided the opportunity for lengthy exchanges between ESSEC faculty and students, and IRENE's guest of honor, Shirin Ebadi (2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner, the first female judge in Iranian history and a lifelong human rights campaigner).
As if confirmation were required of Mrs. Ebadi's stature and contribution to the human rights cause, her day spent at ESSEC was marked by a return journey to central Paris to receive the Légion d'honneur from President Chirac.
Either side of this fitting recognition of her efforts, considerable time was devoted to reflection upon four main themes:
- "Promoting the Rights of Women and Children through Non-Violent Means",
- "Negotiating the Evolution of Law and Behaviors in an Islamic Society",
- "The Role of Women in Economic Development",
- "Corporate Social Responsibility versus Human Rights: the role of lawyers".
This culminated in her participation in a special "Mardis de l'ESSEC" debating society meeting, before a packed lecture theater.
The two-day celebration also offered IRENE a valuable chance to present the exact nature of its mission, as well as some of its concrete achievements, notably its recent endeavors in Burundi and Congo.
This also spanned the second day, held in central Paris, during which the Institute was able to present its expertise to the Press.
The anniversary celebrations were rounded off in style at a charity dinner in aid of the "A chacun son Everest" children's charity.
The most important word retained from the celebrations, though, was "peace", which is both the signification of "Irene" in Greek and also the main theme of Shirin Ebadi's maxim: "A peace which covers all the world is my wish".
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
